Sweet Misery
by RBabe500
Summary: Ryoko's fed up with Tenchi, and missing Hotsuma.....and she has a lot of pent-up anger and sadness....a song-fic...bad summary, good story...r&r please!!!


Ok, a few things I have to say..first off, it's been a long time since I last saw the Tenchi in Tokyo series, so some of the facts may be a bit off..please don't sue me..second, I don't own the Michelle Branch song "Sweet Misery"..and third, I don't own Tenchi in Tokyo or anything associated with it..although I wouldn't mind owning Hotsuma..or even just being allowed to borrow him for a while..if ya know what I mean..lol..he's just so yummy looking..like Orlando Bloom..oh.I love Orlando Bloom..but ne wayz, please review...its what I live for (well, not really but still..its nice to get reviews...)..soooo..enjoy! ^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Without a sound, Ryoko floated down the steps in the Masaki house. Not a light was lit in the entire house, and all the rooms were bathed in the pale light shining through the windows from the moon outside. Faintly, a clock ticked in one of the rooms, both its hands pointing to the twelve, signaling that midnight had come. Ryoko's eyes gleamed as she gracefully maneuvered her way around furniture and then out the door.  
  
With the moon showing her the way, Ryoko walked toward her favourite spot, a cherry blossom tree overlooking the lake. She floated up to one of its outstretched branches and sat on it, her back to the trunk, her head turned to the side so she could look out over the lake. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling them tightly to herself. She sat silently, staring intently at the lake.  
  
The full moon reflected on the lake's surface, marred only by the ripples that crossed the lake occasionally when a gentle breeze came along. Such a breeze came, and up in the tree, Ryoko's cyan hair blew away from her face, revealing the pained look so clearly painted on her otherwise beautiful features.  
  
Tears welled up in Ryoko's eyes, and she desperately tried not the let them fall. Reaching up with her right hand, she brushed them away. Her efforts were pointless though, as more tears replaced the ones she had moments before destroyed. Before she had a chance to stop it, a single tear managed to fall from her left eye. It slid down her cheek and was headed toward her chin when she brushed it away, banishing it into oblivion.  
  
The sound of footsteps approaching jolted Ryoko out of her thoughts.  
  
'Probably just Tenchi,' she thought sadly. Ever since she had returned form space and once again retired from pirating, he had been treating her differently. He constantly checked on her, making sure she was ok. Often Ryoko had thought to herself, 'He treats me like a porcelain doll, fragile, like the slightest touch might break me..'  
  
Just as she had thought, Ryoko saw Tenchi below her, looking around, shouting her name. She closed her eyes tightly as if in pain. Opening them slowly, she floated down gently behind Tenchi.  
  
"Yes, Tenchi?" Ryoko said quietly. Tenchi whirled around.  
  
"Ryoko! I was worried about you! When I saw you weren't in your room, I thought..." he trailed off.  
  
Ryoko cocked her head to one side. "You thought what Tenchi?" she asked.  
  
He opened her mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "You thought I might have gone back to space, didn't you?" she asked accusingly.  
  
Tenchi just looked at her, not knowing what to say. Ryoko went on. "Ever since I came back you've been treating me like the littlest thing will make me run away. It won't. The only reason I left was because of you, Tenchi. You and your damned Sakuya."  
  
"Sakuya!" Tenchi exclaimed. "Ryoko, I knew you were jealous of her, but to run away over it?!?!"  
  
Ryoko gave him a look that stopped his heart cold. "No, Tenchi. I could have lived with you liking her. I wouldn't have been happy about it, but I would have dealt with it. But I saw you two at the fair." At that, Tenchi's face fell.  
  
"Ryoko.." he started.  
  
"Don't Tenchi. Just don't," Ryoko said, shaking her head slowly and sadly. "It doesn't matter anymore. I've figured it out, see. I'm just one of those people destined to love, but never be loved in return. I love you, and you obviously will never love me. After all, how could you ever love a demon space pirate?" In her head, Ryoko thought, 'And I loved Hotsuma, and we all know how well that turned out..."  
  
Tenchi looked at her, pain in his face. Ryoko pulled a strained smile. "Goodbye, Tenchi dear. Goodbye.." She softly kissed him on the cheek, then disappeared.  
  
Tenchi stood paralyzed, staring at the spot where Ryoko had been standing. Then a realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and he began to run as fast as he could back to the house.  
  
He ran up the steps inside the house and practically ripped Ryoko's door from its hinges as he went to open it. Once inside, his worst fears were confirmed. Ryoko and all her favourite possessions were gone. But what hurt him the most and made him the most worried was what was lying on her bed - the pictures they had taken on their one and only date.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The snow whipped around Ryoko's body as she fought her way through the storm. The snow on the ground came up to her thighs, but she hardly noticed that or the blistering cold wind. The only thought on her mind was finding The Spot - the spot where she had killed Hotsuma.  
  
Ahead of her, she saw a rock that looked vaguely familiar. 'It's around here somewheres...' Ryoko thought.  
  
Suddenly, something gleamed through the snow. Fighting through the storm, Ryoko made her way over to what she could now clearly see were a pair of broken, gold-rimmed glasses.  
  
  
  
I was lost  
  
And you were found  
  
You seemed to stand on solid ground  
  
I was weak  
  
And you were strong  
  
And me and my guitar,  
  
We strummed along, oh  
  
  
  
Ryoko sank to her knees, holding in her hands all that remained of Hotsuma. Images floated through her mind, some happy, others bringing tears to her eyes.  
  
  
  
Sweet misery you cause me  
  
That's what you called me  
  
Sweet misery you cause me  
  
  
  
In Ryoko's mind, she saw the day she had first met Hotsuma. "Who would have thought things would have turned out the way they did?.." she whispered.  
  
  
  
I was blind  
  
And oh, how you could see  
  
You saw the beauty in everything  
  
Everything and me  
  
  
  
Clutching the delicate glasses tightly, Ryoko thought of when she first realized she loved Hotsuma. She'd fought alongside him, making sure he didn't get hurt. And he did the same for her.  
  
  
  
I would cry  
  
And you would smile  
  
Stay with me a little while  
  
Sweet misery you cause me  
  
That's what you called me  
  
Sweet misery you cause me  
  
  
  
Ryoko looked up at the snow filled sky, trying desperately not to cry. 'He seemed so perfect...' she thought. 'Why did he have to be evil?..'  
  
  
  
And in my heart I see, oh  
  
What you're doing to me  
  
And in my heart I see, oh  
  
Just how you wanted it to be  
  
Sweet misery  
  
  
  
Ryoko lowered her head and stared at the spot where Hotsuma's body had once lain, dying. Without even realizing it, she clutched his glasses even tighter, bending them. She looked down at them once, then back up at the sky, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
  
  
Sweet misery you cause me  
  
That's what you called me  
  
Sweet misery you cause me  
  
And in my heart I see, oh  
  
What you're doing to me  
  
And in my heart I see, oh  
  
Just how you wanted it to be  
  
Sweet misery  
  
I was weak  
  
And you were strong  
  
And me and my guitar,  
  
We strummed along, oh 


End file.
